Spinning device



Jan. 28, 1964 J. F. M. MEIMBERG SPINNING DEVICE '7 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 2, 1956 J. F. M. MEIMBERG SPINNING DEVICE 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 28, 1964 Filed July 2, 1956 Jan. 28, 1964 J. F. M. MEIMBERG SPINNING DEVICE '7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 2, 1956 Jan. 28, 1964 J. F. M. MEIMBERG 3,119,223

SPINNING DEVICE Filed July 2,` 1956 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Jan. 28, 1964 J. F. M. Ml-:IMBERG 3,119,223

SPINNING DEVICE Filed July 2, '195e 7 sheets-sheet 5 .t ga

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Jan. 28, 1964 .1. F. M. MEIMBERG 3,119,223

SPINNING DEVICE Filed July 2. 1956 '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Jan. 28, 1964 J. F. M. MEIMBERG SPINNING DEVICE Filed July 2. 195e 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 United States Patent O 3,119,223 SPINNINGv DEVICE Julius F. M. Meimherg, Friesenring 74, Munster, Westphalia, Germany Filed July 2, 1956, Ser. No. 595,401' Claims priority, application Germany Juiy 2, 1955 21 Claims. (Cl. 57--50) The present invention concerns a spinning device in which fibers are combed or carded out from a fibrous sliver or roving fed to the spinning device in a continuous manner. The combed or carded out fibers areA then compacted to a fibrous web and delivered to a delivery station from whence they are withdrawn in' a continuous manner in a direction perpendicular to the combing means of the spinning device.

With heretofore known devices of this type, the combing or carding out of the continuously fed liber material is effected by means of a rotatable porcupine roller provided with radially arranged needles and rotatable on a rotatable body about the delivery station. The radially arranged needles of the porcupine roller are in this instance rather widely spaced from each other. This wide spacing, however, affects the uniform combing or carding out of the fibers, and furthermore exerts only an insuiiicient retaining effect upon the individual fibers, especially when fiber material with a short staple length is to be spun.

A similar device is known which comprises a needle belt or band for combing out the liber material fed into the device. Such arrangement has the drawback that the needles bend easily and further that the guiding means for the needle belt are liable to collect dust, dirt, lint and the like. Furthermore it is difficult with a plurality of spinning stations arranged one alongside the other to obtain precisely identical processing results.

In both instances, the speeds which may be obtained are relatively low so that the thread delivery per time unit is rather limited.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved spinning device which will overcome the abovementioned drawbacks.

It is another object of this invention to provide a spinning device of the above mentioned general character, which will increase the field of employment of such spinning devices.

it is still another object of this invention to provide a spinning device as set forth in the preceding paragraphs, which will make it possible to employ standard porcupine rollers with any desired narrow spacing of the needles without affecting the safety of the device.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l diagrammatically illustrates a vertical longitudinal section through a spinning device according to the invention.

FIG. la illustrates on a somewhat larger scale than FIG. l a modified bridge member for use in connection with the spinning device according to the invention.

FIG. 2' shows a partial view of another design of the hollow body of FIGURE l.

FIG. 3 is a perspective section through a modification of a spinning device according to the invention.

FIG. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section through another embodiment of the invention.

FiGS. 5 to 7 illustrate details of the arrangement according to FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 illustrates a vertical longitudinal section through still a further embodiment of a spinning device according to the invention.

3,119,223 Patented Jan. 28, 1964 lCC FIG. l9 is a section taken along the line lX-IX of FIG. 8.

FG. 10 likewise illustrates a vertical longitudinal section through another embodiment of a spinning device according to the invention.

FIG. 1l isa partial view of the arrangement shown in FG. li).

FIG. l2 is a vertical longitudinal section through still another embodiment of a device accordingl to the invention, and

FIG.` 13 shows a lifting olf or withdrawing member provided with a free wheel drive on a spinning device with a hollow body serving as a combing device, the roving or sliver being fed to the combing device by two aprons.

General Arrangement The invention consists primarily in that the combing or carding device and the withdrawing device are arranged so as to be rotatable about each other at a differential speed.

The combing device consists of a hollow body with combing means at its inner peripheral surface.

Expediently, the inner peripheral surface of the hollow body is provided with radially extending bores, and the hollow body has an outer peripheral surface designed as a blower.

The combing means provided on the inner peripheral surface of the hollow body may consist of stationarily arranged needles, of a saw-tooth like fitting or of a surface obtained by rougheningsuch surface. There also exists the possibility of making the combing field of the hollow body of radially arranged bars. The bars may be provided' with combing means and may be peripherally spaced while being arranged stationarily or the bars may be arranged so that they can be moved out of the fiber web at the withdrawing station of the hollow body. If desired, the bars may be. provided with radially extended blower blades. The combing device may consist at least partially of electrostatically chargeable synthetic material, for instance, synthetic material of an acetate base S0. that an electrostatic charge, developed on said material will attract the fibers.

The withdrawing device may according to the present invention be so arranged that it is rotatable together with a supporting body or independently thereof. The withdrawing device thereof may consist of a bridge member bridging the combing lfield and of a thread guide cooperating therewith. The thread guide may be designed in the form of a tube rotating adjacent the circumferential surface of the combing device.

A particularly advantageous form of the withdrawing device is obtained when designing the withdrawing device as a bridge spanning the combing field. Such bridge may have various shapes such as the shape of a plate or a bar, and the thread guide may be designed as a bore, a ring, or a pigtail.

Accordingto a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the withdrawing device is rotatably journalled on the shaft of the combing device so as to be rotatable by thread pull relative to the shaft in its direction of movement. Expediently, the withdrawing device is rotatably journalled by means of a free wheel arrangement.

if desired, the withdrawing device. may alsov be arranged on a rotor rotating along the circumference of the combing device, which rotor is movable by thread pull relative to the combing device or it may be positively driven by means other than thread pull.

The feeding device may be provided in various forms. Thus, the feeding device may consist of at least one pair of rollers, for instance of a drafting mechanism, or it may consist of at least one porcupine roller or of at least one needle belt. The drive for the feeding means may be designed in various manner, so that the feeding means may be operable at different speeds or intermittently.

Structural Arrangement Referring now to FIGURE l, this figure illustrates an embodiment of the invention which makes it possible to work at particularly high rotational speeds in order thereby -to incerase the output of the spinning device. More specifically, the arrangement shown in FIG. l comprises a supporting body 98 which by means of anti-friction 177bearings 101 is rotatably journalled on a hollow shaft 99. The hollow shaft 99 is connected to or integral with a casing 100 and extends inwardly of said casing. The supporting body 9S is rotatable by means of a screw wheel or -worm wheel drive 103, 104, the screw wheel or worm wheel 103 being keyed to a rotatable shaft 1012.

The supporting body 98 has arranged therein antifriction bearings 105, 106 supporting a tube 107 arranged at an incline and extending toward the outside of the supporting body 98. One end of the tube 107 extends into a bore 108 of supporting body 98 and has connected thereto a bevel gear 110 or the like which meshes with a corresponding gear 109 connected to the hollow shaft 99. This driving connection of the tube 107 with the hollow shaft 99 is such that when the supporting body 98 makes one revolution, the tube 107 performs one revolution in opposite direction about its axis in the antifriction bearings 105 and 106. The supporting body 98 has furthermore pournalled thereon a rotatable member 111 which in the specific example of FIG. 1 is concentrically arranged with regard to the supporting body 98. The rotatable member 111 is adapted to be driven by a shaft 112 through the intervention of a screw or worm wheel drive 113, 114. The other end of the rotatable member 111 is provided with a ring member carrying a plurality of blower blades 115. These blower blades 115 are provided with two gear rings 116, 117 meshing with gear rings 121, 122 connected to the outside of a hollow cylinder 118. The hollow cylinder 118 is eccentrically arranged with regard to the supporting body 98 and with regard to the rotatable member 111. The hollow cylinder 118 meshes along its upper circumferential portion with the gear rings 116 and 117. The engagement of the teeth of the hollow cylinder 118 with the teeth of the gear rings 116, 117 is secured by means of roller means 119, 120 connected to the supporting body 98. Thus, the gear rings 121 and 122 provided on the hollow cylinder -118 are maintained -in meshing engagement with the rear rings 116 and 117 of the rotat-able member 111. The inner surface of the hollow cylinder 118 is provided with rows of needles 123 so that a combing or carding effect is exerted simultaneously with a tiberretaining effect upon sliver or roving introduced into the interior of the hollow cylinder 118.

With the arrangement shown in FIG. 1 in which the interior of the hollow cylinder 118 is provided -with needles 123, apertures or passages 124 are arranged between the needles so that by means of the blower blades 115 air is drawn through said passages from the interior of the hollow cylinder 118 toward the outside. As a result thereof, the combed outbers are compacted in the needle bed to a parallelized cover.

The casing 100 is provided with an inwardly directed protruding portion or bulge 125. This protruding portion is provided with aperture means or the like, such as a slot 126, through which the sliver or roving 129, fed for instance by a two-apron draft mechanism 127, 128, passes into the interior of the hollow cylinder 118. It is, of course, understood that the apron drafting mechanism 127, 138 may also be replaced by other feeding means, for instance a porcupine roller which will be described in connection with FIG. 4. 'I'he spun yarn 130 is fed by means of hollow shaft 99 to a pair of delivery rollers 131, 131 by means of which it is directly wound upon a bob.-

4 bin of any desired diameter or is directly plied or twisten with the yarn of an adjacent spinning station, not shown.

As mentioned above, the spinning device is driven by drives 103, 104 and 113, 114. Both drives rotate at a speed slightly dilerent from each other. Due to the higher rotational speed of the blower blades 115, a suction is created at said blower blades, which suction pulls the sliver or roving 129 delivered by the feed device 127, 128 into the interior of the hollow cylinder 118 where the fibers are combed by the needles 123. These individually combed out fibers are held on the inner wall by means of the centrifugal force and the suction effect referred to above. Due to the fact that at each revolution of the hollow cylinder 118 some fibers are being combed out and deposited upon fibers already present, a fiber cover is formed on the inner wall of the hollow cylinder, which fiber cover following the start of the spinning or the joining to a thread is withdrawn through the tube 107.

The st-art of the spinning operation is initiated by introducing a wire or the like from the outside through shaft 99 and tube 107 into the interior of the hollow cylinder 118 where it grasps the liber cover stripped off from a bridge 132. After the cover has been grasped by the wire or the like, the latter is pulled back, and the yarn spins itself automatically at the free end of tube 107 due to the joint rotation of the supporting body 98 and the rotatable member 111. Due to the fact that the tube 107 extends into the interior of the hollow cylinder 118, the yarn twist extends up to the needling where the fibers are grasped and twisted about each other. Due to the differential drive, a relative movement of the rotatable tube 107 along the inner wall of the hollow cylinder 118 occurs so that always new fibers are grasped, and while being twisted, are in a continuous manner withdrawn by the rollers 131, 131 as a completed yarn.

rhe starting of the spinning may also be effected by inserting a completed thread into the needle iield while the de-vice is at a standstill. As soon as the device begins to rotate, this completed thread will start to spin the fiber Web, and the start of the thread can be withdrawn from the interior.

In order to be able to safely grasp short fibers, the hollow cylinder 118 is eccentrically journalled.

Instead of the bridge 132 as shown in FIG. 1, a bridge member 132 of plate shape may be employed as shown in FIG. la.

Instead of a hollow cylinder 118 provided 'with rows 123 of needles as shown in FIG. l, a saw-tooth like combing surface may be employed, obtained by roughening the inner peripheral surface thereof. Such an arrangement of the hollow cylinder 133 is illustrated in FIG. 2. The combing surface of the hollow cylinder 133 is provided with teeth or points 134 obtained by roughening the respective surface so that it resembles a carding roller provided with a saw-tooth fitting. Also in this instance, apertures 135 may be provided between the rows of teeth 134.

The hollow cylinder may also consist of material adapted to be electrostatically charged, for instance material with an acetate base, which material will produce a retaining effect, if desired, in cooperation with needling.

FIG. 3 illustrates a modification of the spinning device shown in FIG. l. The principle of construction is substantially the same as that Idescribed in connection with FIG. l. Thus, FIG. 3 likewise comprises a supporting body 138 journalled on the hollow shaft 137 in the casing 136 and a drive 139, 140, 141 is provided for the body 138. FIG. 3 furthermore shows the rotatable member 142 journalled on `the body 138, and the drive 143, 144, 145 for the rotatable member 142. FIGURE 3 also shows the blower blade ring 146, and the hollow cylinder 152 whose teeth 148, 149 are pressed into engagement with the teeth 150, 151 of the blade ring 146 by means of the roller 147. The interior of the hollow cylinder 152 is provided with needles 153. FIGURE 3 clearly shows passages 154 through which air is drawn through the hollow cylinder 152 by means of the blower blades 146.

The sliver or roving 155 is fed through 1a passage' 156 arranged in the inwardly directed protruding portion or bulge 15'7 of lthe casing 136. The sliver or roving 155 is, in this instance, directed by a onedrow porcupine feeding roller 158 whose annular groove 15S has needles therein by means of which the fibers are combed out and delivered to the inner surface of the hollow cylinder 152. The fibrous cover on cylinder 152 -is withdrawn by the rotatable tube 159 which carries out a relative movement a-long the inner surface of the hollow cylinder 152 so that the said cover is spun into a yarn.

The rotatable tube 159 is supported by means of antifriction bearings 161B and 161 substantially in the same manner as described in connection with FIG. l. The rotatable tube 159 has connected thereto a bevel gear or the like 162 which meshes with a corresponding bevel gear 163 connected to the hollow shaft 137. The finished yarn is delivered by means of the clamping rollers 164, 164 to a bobbin, a reel, or a similar device.

FIGURE 4 illustrates a `further embodiment of a spinning device according to the invention with a differently designed combing field. According to FIG. 4, the spinning device is mounted on a frame 165 to which a hollow shaft 166 is connected. The supporting body 167 is rotat. ably journalled on the hollow shaft 166. The supporting body 167 is adapted to be driven in the manner described above through the intervention of the driving wheel 168. The hollow body 169 is concentrically arranged with regard to the supporting body 167 and is rotatably journalled thereon. The hollow body 169 is adapted to be driven by the driving wheel 171)V in the manner likewise describedV above. Connected to the supporting body 167 is the withdrawing device 171 for the completed thread 172 which is` withdrawn through the hollow shaft 166 by means of a pair of withdrawing rollers similar to those described in connection with the preceding embodiment but not shown in FIG. 4.

The feeding device consists of the porcupine roller 173 which yfeeds the sliver or roving 174 to the inner surface of the lhollow body 169. f

The hollow body 169 comprises an outer casing ring 175 having inserted therein an inner ring 176 provided with tooth-like recesses at its outer circumferential surface as is clearly shown in FIG. 5. `In each of the thus formed tooth spaces there is inserted a corresponding profiled bar 177 with such a fit that it is clamped between the casing ring 175 and the inner ring 176. A cover ring 175' may be connected either to ring 175 `or to ring 176. The bar 177 may be provided with needles 178 as shown in FIG. 6 or may have a saw-tooth like working surface 179 as shown in FIG. 7. In lthis way the combing field is formed by individual bars 177 :arranged all the way around. As will be evident yfrom the drawing, a space remains between the individual bars 177 in peripheral direction so that the outer body 169 provided with said bars 177 will act as a blower when rotated at 'high speed. The fibers of the sliver or roving 174 which are fed by the porcupine roller 173 are in this way held on the inner surface of the combing field not only by the needles 178 of the bars 177 but also by the suction effect exerted by the hollow body which together with the bar-s 17 7 acts as a blower. `In this way the advantage is obtained that any possible impurities which might be contained in the fibrous material will be thrown off toward the outside through the spaces fbetween said bars. In order to -increase the suction effect referred to above, the bars 177 may be provided with blower blades 180 directed toward the outside as is clearly shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7.

The building up of the combing field from individual bars 177 not only simplifies the entire construction but also brings about the advantage that when individual needles 17S of a respective bar are damaged, they can be exchanged immediately without requiring time-consuming repair of the entire hollow body provided with needles. Furthermore,r this arrangement also makes it possible to vary the spacing between the needlesv by a mere exchange of the bars 177.

FIGS. S and 9 illustrate a `further embodiment of a spinning device according to the` invention. The general structure corresponds substantially to that illustrated in FIG. 4. The supporting body 182 is rotatably journalled on frame 131. The hollow shaft 183 forming a part of the supporting body 132 has rotatably journalled therein the hollow shaft pertaining to the hollow body 184. The major portion of the hollow body 184 is surrounded by the supporting body 182 in a casing-like manner. 'Ihe drive of the supporting body 182 is effected for instance by a driving disc 135, while the drive of the hollow body 1.34 is effected by a driving disc or pulley 136. -In this way a differential -speed can be obtained in the manner described above. The supporting body 182 supports the withdrawing device 187 which withdraws the compacted fiber web and conveys the same as spun thread 188 to the withdrawing roller pair 189, 189. The feeding of the fibrous sliver or roving 190 to be combed out is effected through .the hollow shaft of the hollow body 181 by means of `a needle belt 191 which feeds the fibrous sliver or roving 199 to the combing field. The hollow body 184 consists of an annular disc 192 ha'ving close to the outer marginal portion thereof tiltably linked bars 193 slightly spaced from each other and uniformly distributed about the disc. The bars 193 may in the manner described above -be provided with needles or may have a saw-tooth like working surface. 'inner side opposite the annular disc 192 in a curve-like groove 194 of the supporting body 182. As will be particularly evident from FIGURE 9, the groove 194 is provided with a radially outwardly directed bulge near the withdrawing device 187 so that the bars 193 will during a rotation at a differential speed of the supporting body 182 and hollow body 194 be moved out from the fiber web at said bulge. This arrangement brings about the advantage that the combing field can rotate in very close proximity to the feeding needle belt so that short staple fiber material can be processed and combed out safely. Only at that portion where the withdrawing device 187 lifts off the fiber tuft protruding `from the feeding needle belt 191 and radially deviates the fiber web, will the bars 193 lbe moved out of the fiber web. In this way not only will there be sufficient space for the withdrawing device 157 but there will also be assured an easy removal of the fiber web from the combing field.

F16-S. l0 and 1l represent two `further embodiments of the spinning device according to the invention. Also in this instance the general construction corresponds substantially to that shown in FIG. 4. In the frame 195 there is fixedly mounted a hollow shaft 196 having rotatably journalled thereon the supporting body 197 which in turn supports the withdrawing device 19S. rDhe hollow body 199 is concentrically arranged with regard to the supporting body 197 and is rotatably journalled thereon so as to be able to rotate about the supporting body 197. The drive for the supporting body 197 and the hollow body 199 is effected in the manner described above by means of driving gears 291) and 201, respectively. The `feeding of the sliver or roving 202 to be combed out is effected by the porcupine roller 2413 in the manner described in connection with F1G. 4. The hollow body 199 is in a manner similar to that of the embodiment of FIG. 4 provided with a combing field formed by individual bars 294 which are provided with needles or may be provided with other combing means. The bars 204, however, in this instance are not stationarily inserted in the hollow body 199 but are movable in radial direction in the hollow body 199 and are provided with a guiding eX- tension 295 by means of which the bars 204 engage a curve-like groove 206 arranged in the supporting body 197. Furthermore, the b-ars 204 may be provided with The bars 193 are guided at their' radially outwardly directed blower blades. The hollow body 199 determines the peripheral space of the individual bars 204, whereas the movement of said bars in radial direction is controlled by .the curve-like groove 206 of the supporting body 197 as will be evident from FIGURE 1l. The groove 206 is radially bulged outwardly at the withdrawing device 193 so that the bars 204 will be moved out of the compacted fiber web each time they pass by the withdrawing device 198. This is brought about by the differential speed between the supporting body 197 and the hollow body 199. Thus, the same advantages will be obtained as those set forth in connection with the discussion of the embodiments according to the FGS. 8 and 9.

All heretofore described embodiments have the feature in common that the combing device and the withdrawing device are rotatable about each other at a slight difference in speed with regard to each other. The purpose of the combing device consists in combing out the fibers individually from the continuously fed sliver or roving and compacting the same to a fiber web. The withdrawing device has the purpose of grasping the thus compacted fiber web at a precisely pre-determined position and to deviate the thus grasped fiber web laterally whereby the fibers due to the simultaneous rotation of the combing device and withdrawing device are twisted to a thread. The withdrawing device has the further purpose of interrupting the combing process by lifting the fiber web off the combing field at the very instant at which the withdrawing device each time reaches the fiber tuft protruding from the feeding device.

In order to obtain the slight differential speed, two separately driven shafts are required, one of which drives the combing device while the other one drives the withdrawing device. As far as the practicing of the method is concerned, it is immaterial whether the combing field feeds the compacted fiber web to the withdrawing device or whether the withdrawing device moves over the combing field. In both instances, the fiber web of the combing device will be fed at a relative movement which may be designated as the combing delivery.

The combing delivery has a certain ratio with regard to the speed of the withdrawing device for the completed thread. This ratio is dependent on various `factors such as the type of combing field and fiber length. With long staple material and a dense needle field lthe combing delivery corresponds substantially to the withdrawing speed, whereas, with short staple fibers or a wide needle field the combing delivery may be far less than the withdrawal speed. Under no circumstances, however, must the combing delivery be greater than the withdrawal speed, in other words the combing delivery should always be less than 100% of the withdrawal speed.

If a yarn is being produced which has a certain number of twists per unit of length of the yarn, or, expressed differently, when during one revolution of the spinning head-eg. hollow body 199 (FIG. 10)-the completed yarn is withdrawn or advanced by the withdrawing device-eg. rollers 131, 131 (FIG. 1)-by a certain length, it will be appreciated that this requires a certain combing delivery.

If the yarn twist is to be changed per unit of length of the yarn while the overall draft is to be maintained, i.e. the ratio of feeding the sliver to the combining means and the withdrawal of the yarn, it is merely necessary to vary the speed of rotation of the spinning head while maintaining constant the feeding and the withdrawal speeds. Instead, it also is possible to obtain the same result when changing at the same ratio the feeding and withdrawal speeds while maintaining constant the speed of rotation of the spinning head. At the same ltime, of course, it is also necessary to change the combing delivery in order to maintain the same ratio between withdrawal speed and combing delivery` The spinning device shown in FIG. 12 is mounted on aframe 73 in which the hollow shaft 274 is fixedly mounted. The hollow shaft 274 rotatably supports the supporting member 275 which fis adapted to be driven by Ia driving wheel 276. A hollow body 277 is concentrically arranged with regard to the supporting body 27S :and is rotatably journalled upon the latter. The hollow body 277 is adapted to be driven by the gear 278 connected thereto. The hollow body 277 has a casinglike extension 279 having inserted therein an inner ring 230 provided on one side thereof with tooth-like recesses. Inserted into the tooth spaces of the inner ring 230 are needle bars 281 which `are fitted and clamped between the casing-like extension 279 and the inner ring 280 so that a closed combing field is formed in the interior of the hollow body 277.

The feeding device comprises a porcupine roller 282 which feeds the sliver or roving 233 to the combing field of the hollow body 277.

During the fast rotation of the hollow body 277 designed as a blower, the fibers combed out by the combing field 4and compacted to a fiber web are by means 0f the centrifugal force and the suction effect of hollow body 277 held against the -inner surface of the hollow body 277 until the lwithdrawing member 284 mounted on the supporting body 275 lifts `off the compacted fiber web and deviates -the same laterally in the form of the thread 235. Thread 28S is withdrawn through the hollow shaft 274 by means of a withdrawing device not shown in the drawing.

In order to obtain differential speed, it is assumed that a double drive is provided by means of which on one hand the supporting body together with the withdrawing member can be driven separately from the combing device so that the required differential speed will be obtained.

FIG. 13 shows a design of the lifting off or withdrawing member with a free-wheel drive on a spinning device with a hollow body serving as la combing device. With this embodiment, the hollow body 305 only is driven which body has its inner circumferential surface provided with needles. The hollow drive shaft 306 has an end which protrudes into the hollow body 305 provided with a cross-shaped extension 307 and carries the withdrawing disc 308 supporting the withdrawing or lifting off member 309.

Between the recesses of the drive shaft 306 and the withdrawing disc 308 there are arranged followers 310 which convey the movement of the lifting off or withdrawing member 309 in the direction of `the arrow shown in FIG. 13. The fibers of the roving or sliver 312 fed by the two aprons 311, 3111' which may be of leather, `are combed out by the needles of the hollow body 30S and are compacted in the manner described above on the inner peripheral surface of the hollow body 305 to a fiber -web which is Ithen withdrawn by the withdrawing member 309 and deviated. The fiber 313 is withdrawn through the hollow drive shaft 306 by means of the withdnawing rollers 314, 314.

The freewheel drive formed according to the embodiment of FIG. 13 may also be designed in any standard manner, for instance as a pawl and ratchet mechanism or as a friction locking mechanism.

The embodiment described in the last mentioned figure represents a considerable simplification in the driving system inasmuch as it eliminates the double drive for obtaining the required differential speed between the withdrawing or lifting off member and the combing device which differential speed required differential drives or other complicated driving systems.

The simplication of the withdrawing or lifting off mechanism and the drive represent advantages not only with regard to construction but also with regard to increased safety of operation land considerably easier handling, especially when a plurality of such spinning devices are arranged in or combined to a single machine.

9 Thus, the present invention provides a spinning device which can be adapted within wide limits to the liber material to be processed regardless of whether short staple or long staple liber material is to be handled.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is by no means limit-ed to the particular constructions shown in the drawings but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. In combination in a spinning device: a frame, a supporting member rotatably supported -by said trarne, combing means rotatably supported by said supporting member for combing out libers fed into said combing means and for co-mpacting said libers to a liber web, withdrawing means mounted on said supporting member and rotatable therewith about the axis of rotation of said combing means for withdrawing said liber web, and means for rotating said withdrawing means independently of said combing means.

2. In combination in a spinning device: a frame, a supporting member rotatably supported by said frame, combing means rotatably supported by said supporting member for combing out libers fed into said combing means `and for compacting said libers to a liber web, withdrawing means mounted on said supporting member and rotatable therewith about the axis of rotation of said combing means for withdrawing said liber web, and means drivingly connected to said combing means and said withdrawing means for rotating said combing means and said withdrawing means about each other at a difierential speed.

3. In combination in a spinning device: a frame, a supporting member rotatably supported by said frame, a hollow body rotatably supported -by said supporting member and having a portion of its inner peripheral surface provided with combing means for combing out libers fed into said combing means and for compacting said libers to a liber web, withdrawing means mounted on said supporting member and rotatable therewith about the taxis of rotation of said combing means for withdrawing said liber web, and means for rotating said withdrawing means independently of said combing means.

4. In combination in a spinning device: ya frame, a supporting member rotatably supported by said frame, a hollow body rotatably supported by said supporting member and having a portion of its inner peripheral surface provided with combing means for combing out libers fed into said combing means and `for compacting said libers to a liber web, the outer peripheral surface of said Ihollow body being provided with blowing means, withdra'wing means mounted on said supporting member and rotatable therewith about the axis of rotation of said combing means for withdrawing said liber web, and means for rotating said withdrawing means independently of said combing means.

In combination in a spinning device: a frame, a supporting member rotatably supported by said frame, a hollow body rotatably supported by said supporting member `and having a portion of its inner peripheral surface provided with stationarily arranged needles for combing out ibers fed into said needles and for compacting said libers to a liber web, the outer peripheral surface of said hollow body -being provided with blowing means, withdrawing means mounted on said supporting member and rotatable therewith about the `axis of rotation of said stationarily arranged needles for withdrawing said liber web, and means for rotating said withdrawing means independently of said stationarily arranged needles.

6. In combination in -a spinning device: a frame, a supporting member rotatably supported by said frame, a hollow body rotatably supported by said supporting member and being provided with saw tooth-like means forming combing means for combing out iibers fed into said saw tooth-like means and for compacting said fibers to a liber web, withdrawing means mounted on said supporting member and rotatable therewith about the axis of rotation of said combing means for withdrawing said liber web, and means for rotating said withdrawing means independently of -said combining means.

7. In combination in la spinning device: a frame, a supporting member rotatably supported by said frame, combing means rotatably supported b-y said supporting member for combing out fibers fed into said combing means and for compacting said fibers to `a liber web, said combing means including radially arranged bars carrying needles, withdrawing means mounted on said supporting member and rotatable therewith about the axis o-f rotation of said combing means `for 'withdrawing said liber web, and means for rotating said withdrawing means independently of said combing means. y

8. A spinning device according to claim 7, in which said bars are spaced from each other along the periphery of said combing means.

9. In combination in a spinning device: a frame, a supporting member rotatably supported by said frame, combing means rotatably supported by said supporting member for combing out libers fed into said combing means and for compacting said libers to a fiber web, said combing means including radially arranged bars provided with needles and also provided with radially extending blower blades, withdrawing means mounted on said supporting member and rotatable therewith about the axis of rotation of said combing means -for withdrawing said fiber web, -and means for rotating said withdrawing means independently of said combing means.

l0. In combination in a spinning device: a frame, a supporting member rotatably supported by said frame, comb-ing means rotatably supported by Isaid supporting member lfor combing out libers fed into said combing means and for compacting said libers to a liber web, said combing means consisting at least in part of an electrostatically chargeable synthetic material, withdrawing means mounted on said supporting member and rotatable therewith about the axis of rotation of said combing means `for withdrawing said liber web, and means for rotating said withdrawing means independently of said combing means.

1l. In combination in a spinning device: a frame, a supporting member rotatably supported by said frame, combing means rotatably supported by said supporting member for combing out libers fed into said combing means and `for compacting said libers to a liber web, the I.axis of rotation of said combing means being concentrically arranged with regard to the axis of rotation of said supporting member, withdrawing means mounted on said supporting member and rotatable therewith about the axis of rotation of said combing means for withdrawing said liber web, and means for rotating said withdrawing means independently of said combing means.

l2. In combination in a spinning device: a fra-me, a supporting member rotatably supported by Isaid frame, combing means rotatably supported by said supporting member for combing out libers fed into said combing means `and for comp'acting said libers to a liber web, the axis of rotation of said combing means being eccentrically arranged with regard Ito the axis of rotation of said supporting member, withdrawing means mounted on said supporting member and rotatable therewith about the taxis of rotation of said combing means for withdrawing said liber web, and means for rotating said withdrawing means independently of said combing means.

13. In combination in a spinning device: a frame, a supporting member rotatably supported by said frame, combing lmeans rotatably supported by said supporting member for combing out libers fed into said combing means and for compacting said libers to a liber web, withdrawing Imeans mounted on said supporting member and rotatable therewith `about the axis of rotation of said combing means for withdrawing said liber web, said withdrawing means comprising la bridge member extending across the effective portion of said combing means and a thread guide cooperating with said bridge member, and means for rotating said withdrawing means independently of said combing means.

14. A spinning device according to claim 13, in which the thread :guide comprises a tube rotatable adjacent the peripheral surface of said combing means.

15. A spinning device according to claim 13, in which the bridge member has the shape of a plate.

16. A spinning device according to claim 13, in which the thread guide defines an annular passage.

17. A spinning device according to claim 1, which includes feeding means comprising at least a roller pair.

18. A spinning device according to claim 1, which includes feeding means in form of a porcupine roller,

19. A spinning device according to claim l, which includes a feeding device in form of a needle belt.

5 cludes feeding means adapted to be driven intermittently.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 173,290 Hirby Feb. 8, 1876 755,347 Bietenholz Mar. 22, 1904 1,709,038 Platt Apr. 16, 1929 1,795,351 Stell Mar. 10, 1931 2,731,676 Apthorp et al. Jan. 24, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 477,259 Great Britain Dec. 24, 1937 695,136 Great Britain Aug. 5, 1953 

1. IN COMBINATION IN A SPINNING DEVICE: A FRAME, A SUPPORTING MEMBER ROTATABLY SUPPORTED BY SAID FRAME, COMBING MEANS ROTATABLY SUPPORTED BY SID SUPPORTING MEMBER FOR COMBING OUT FIBERS FED INTO SAID COMBING MEANS AND FOR COMPACTING SAID FIBERS TO A FIBER WEB, WITHDRAWING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID SUPPORTING MEMBER, AND ROTATABLE THEREWITH ABOUT THE AXIS OF ROTATION OF SAID COMBING MEANS FOR WITHDRAWING SAID FIBER WEB, AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID WITHDRAWING MEANS INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID COMBING MEANS. 